AuntMinnie continues its live coverage of RSNA 2009 news. Brian Casey, editor in chief,
highlights day one in his
editor's note from our RSNA 2009 news daily coverage.
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Day five of RSNA 2009 News includes:
Radiologists may not always comply with Fleischner guidelines
CHICAGO - The vast majority of radiologists appear to understand the Fleischner Society's guidelines on management of small pulmonary nodules incidentally detected on routine chest CT scans. But that knowledge may not necessarily translate into actual conformance, according to research presented Wednesday at the RSNA meeting in Chicago.
"Efforts are necessary to bridge the gap between ..."
Read the complete "Radiologists may not always comply with Fleischner guidelines" article
Compression ratio not the best quality indicator for lossy images
CHICAGO - There may be a better way to judge the quality of a lossy-compressed JPEG 2000 image than its traditional compression ratio, according to research presented Thursday at the 2009 RSNA meeting in Chicago.
A Seoul National University Bundang Hospital in Korea team found that ...
Read the complete "Compression ratio not the best quality indicator for lossy images" article
The 2009 PACSman Awards: Red, black ... or both?
CHICAGO - There is nothing like taking a six-day, five-night Caribbean cruise with two teenagers three days before the RSNA conference to prepare you for the show. I plan on justifying the expense to my accountant by saying I needed practice with all-you-can-eat food and wonderfully stiff drinks on the Love Boat to help me get ready for this year's marathon event at McCormick Place.
Little did I know the number of cocktail parties this year would decline as much as attendance did (despite official protestations to the contrary), but I still got enough party invites to make it worthwhile, even if just a few still offered a full open bar. Having three exhibit halls instead of two contributed to my feet aching more than normal, requiring me to break down and spend $14 after day one on a set of Dr. Scholl's tricomfort orthotics because I could no longer feel my legs by 6 p.m.
Those who know me know that my ...
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Radiology reports: What do physicians really want?
CHICAGO - What do referring physicians think of the radiology reports they receive, and how do they use them? Radiologists at Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, PA, conducted a survey to find out whether the reports they prepared met the needs of clinicians who received them.
A 16-question survey was designed to glean referring physicians' preferences of radiology report format, to determine how ...
Read the complete "Radiology reports: What do physicians really want?" article
Study recommendations improve injection-to-scan time, PET quantification
CHICAGO - Researchers at Ohio State University (OSU) Medical Center have found that injection-to-scan time in FDG-PET is "critically important" for accurately and quantitatively evaluating response to therapy, but optimum target times are complicated by patient and technology challenges.
The study, detailed this week at the 2009 annual meeting of RSNA, recommends ways for ...
Read the complete "Study recommendations improve injection-to-scan time, PET quantification" article
Liver metastases more conspicuous at low-energy DSCT
CHICAGO - Hypovascular liver lesions are better visualized at lower photon energies in dual-source CT (DSCT), say researchers from New York City. Attenuation differences are greater between metastases and normal liver parenchyma at 80 kVp versus weighted average data simulating 120 kVp, they concluded. Detection sensitivity was slightly lower at 80 kVp, however, owing to the smaller field-of-view on the first-generation DSCT scanner used in the study.
Dual-source CT is getting a lot of attention these days for the value it adds to abdominal imaging protocols, particularly in its ability to ...
Read the complete "Liver metastases more conspicuous at low-energy DSCT" article
'Gatekeeper effect' key to RBMs' ability to slow imaging use
CHICAGO - Radiology benefits management (RBM) firms can help slow the rapid increase in advanced imaging use, in part because of a "gatekeeper effect" that prompts physicians to think twice about ordering exams, according to research presented Wednesday at the RSNA meeting.
In a study that evaluated the effects of RBM HealthHelp's call center decision-support process program on one of its clients, Humana, Dr. David Levin and colleagues at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia found that HealthHelp saved Humana ...
Read the complete " 'Gatekeeper effect' key to RBMs' ability to slow imaging use article"
Day four of RSNA 2009 News includes:
Panel of radiologists rejects USPSTF mammogram guidelines
CHICAGO - A panel of breast cancer screening experts today told a special news briefing at the RSNA annual meeting that the new U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) guidelines recommending against routine annual mammograms are flat-out wrong.
RSNA members who peppered the briefing applauded as the University of Cincinnati's Dr. Mary Mahoney, vice-chair of the RSNA Public Information Committee, introduced the panel members, saying "These truly are the experts in mammography. It's unquestionable: Mammography saves lives."
The panel members were expressing their ...
Read the complete "Panel of radiologists rejects USPSTF mammogram guidelines" article
Chest x-ray CAD fails to boost observer performance
CHICAGO - Computer-aided detection (CAD) software may not produce significant improvement in detecting suspicious lesions on chest radiographs, but it's not necessarily the technology's fault, according to research presented Wednesday at the 2009 RSNA meeting in Chicago.
A Dutch study team found that while CAD has the potential to improve reader performance, its utility was limited due to an ...
Read the complete "Chest x-ray CAD fails to boost observer performance" article
Patients develop moderate distortion after breast cancer brachytherapy
CHICAGO - The majority of breast cancer patients who received MammoSite balloon brachytherapy treatment developed symptoms of moderate breast distortion within two years of treatment, according to an RSNA presentation on Tuesday.
Radiologists who identify early fibrosis in follow up mammograms of these patients need to be cautious about recommending biopsy, if the findings from Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital are ...
Read the complete "Patients develop moderate distortion after breast cancer brachytherapy" article
Philips touts MRI advances, CT dose reduction at RSNA
CHICAGO - New clinical applications in MRI, dose reduction programs in CT and interventional radiology, and continuing progress in its new women's health division are among the highlights in the RSNA booth of Philips Healthcare of Andover, MA, at this week's meeting.
Read the complete "Philips touts MRI advances, CT dose reduction at RSNA" article
Free library of best-practice report templates published by RSNA
CHICAGO - In conjunction with its annual meeting, the RSNA has published a free downloadable library of radiology report templates representing the "best-practice" recommendations of more than 100 experts from 12 radiology specialties. More than two years in development, the radiology report templates represent an initiative launched in 2007 to identify and promote excellence in radiology reporting.
Dr. Curtis Langlotz, chairman of the RSNA Structured Reporting Subcommittee and professor and vice chair for informatics in the department of radiology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, described the project in a ...
Read the complete "Free library of best-practice report templates published by RSNA" article
CT scans sent to iPhone can make appendicitis diagnoses
CHICAGO - The child has lower right abdominal pain, and a resident suspects appendicitis. But she wants to make sure.
Yep, there's an App for that.
Researchers said that CT scan images sent ...
Read the complete "CT scans sent to iPhone can make appendicitis diagnoses" article
Contrast dose halved in coronary CTA
CHICAGO - Contrast doses for CT angiography (CTA) are too high, but they can be lowered substantially with the right equipment and careful attention to technique, according to researchers from Charité University Medical School in Berlin. Obese patients will need more iodinated contrast than thin ones, but not as much they're getting now, the study concludes.
Dr. Alexander Lembke, Dr. Patrick Hein, and colleagues used 320-detector-row CT (Aquilion One, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Tustin, CA) and a tailored contrast dose to ...
Read the complete "Contrast dose halved in coronary CTA" article
Controversy can't alter facts: Screening mammography has proven benefits
CHICAGO - Screening mammography's benefits for women between the ages of 40 and 49 have been solidly proved, and as such, screening programs should not be dismantled, according to Dr. Stephen Feig, a highlighted speaker in the High-Risk Screening Breast Series presented Tuesday at the RSNA meeting.
Controversy over screening mammography -- sparked ...
Read the complete "Controversy can't alter facts: Screening mammography has proven benefits" article
Day three of RSNA 2009 News includes:
Emergency rooms struggle to find wayward can tabs
CHICAGO - The aluminum can industry's attempt to keep those ubiquitous tab openers from being inadvertently swallowed hasn't prevented the youth of America from accidentally ingesting them, causing challenges for radiologists. While these so-called stay-tabs where developed in response to prevent littering and ingesting of the pull-tabs, ingenious pediatric patients still find ways of swallowing the tabs.
"We probably need ..."
Read the complete "Emergency rooms struggle to find wayward can tabs" article
New MRI scanners, 3D platform are Siemens RSNA highlights
CHICAGO - A brace of new MRI scanners, new advanced visualization and PACS software, and new advances in CT, women's imaging, and ultrasound are highlights in the RSNA booth of Siemens Healthcare of Malvern, PA, at this year's conference.
Read the complete "New MRI scanners, 3D platform are Siemens RSNA highlights" article
3D software boosts diagnostic accuracy for Alzheimer's
CHICAGO - 3D stereotactic surface projection (3D-SSP) software enhances the diagnostic accuracy and confidence of both beginner and expert radiologists when interpreting FDG-PET scans of patients with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's disease, according to a study from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. The study, presented Monday at the RSNA annual meeting, received the RSNA Research Trainee Award.
Alzheimer's disease currently affects ...
Read the complete "3D software boosts diagnostic accuracy for Alzheimer's" article
'Send-to-editor' speech recognition function boosts radiologist productivity
CHICAGO - Speech recognition is often maligned as a technology that improves radiology report turnaround time at the expense of reduced radiologist efficiency and satisfaction. But a research team from East Carolina University (ECU) has found that radiologists who occasionally send reports to editors for transcription are significantly more productive.
"Radiologists who used the editor function dictated significantly ..."
Read the complete " 'Send-to-editor' speech recognition function boosts radiologist productivity" article
Coronary CTA edges MRA in a tight race
CHICAGO - In a head-to-head comparison of two closely watched modalities, low-dose dual-source coronary CT angiography (CTA) outperformed cardiac MR angiography (MRA) in sensitivity, specificity, and negative predictive value (NPV). But 1.5-tesla MRA countered with better specificity and positive predictive value (PPV) compared to CT. Combining the modalities didn't improve results in the small but painstakingly performed study presented on Monday at the 2009 RSNA meeting.
The study was a combined effort between University Hospital Zurich in Switzerland and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, using conventional angiography results as the gold standard and referee in all cases.
Read the complete "Coronary CTA edges MRA in a tight race" article
DBT reduces false-positive rate by 41% in screening setting
CHICAGO - Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT), when combined with a patient's digital mammography priors, can reduce the screening false-positive rate by 41%, according to a study presented Monday at the RSNA annual meeting.
Dr. Daniel Kopans of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and colleagues assessed the rate of callbacks (and, thus, false positives) with a DBT unit in a typical clinical screening setting. The study used...
Read the complete "DBT reduces false-positive rate by 41% in screening setting" article
Day two of RSNA 2009 News includes:
3-tesla MRI, CT upgrades pace Toshiba RSNA launches
CHICAGO - Its new foray into 3-tesla MRI and new upgrades to its CT technology are among the highlights in the RSNA booth of Toshiba America Medical Systems at this year's conference. The Tustin, CA, company is also touting a new compact ultrasound scanner and new enhancements to its x-ray line...
Read the complete "3-tesla MRI, CT upgrades pace Toshiba RSNA launches" article
Medical apps on iPhone demonstrate value, potential
CHICAGO - Image viewing applications might seem like a natural choice for radiologists seeking to outfit their iPhones for professional use. But other types of medical apps -- and those still to come -- also offer much potential value, according to research presented Monday at the 2009 RSNA meeting in Chicago.
"There are actually a variety of other different [app] categories that can make our lives easier," said presenter Dr. Trushar Patel of Weill-Cornell Medical College in New York City. "And hopefully ..."
Read the complete "Medical apps on iPhone demonstrate value, potential" article
Scientific poster digital format offers potential to transform medium
CHICAGO - Technologists attending RSNA 2009: If you want to evaluate your hand-eye coordination, as well as your technical savvy, check out scientific poster LL-PD4245-B09 at McCormick Place's Lakeside Learning Center. A computer will assess your ability to identify the optimum inspiration time to take a chest x-ray of a howling infant.
The RSNA meeting's conversion this year of displaying all scientific posters, along with many educational exhibits, in digital format offers the potential for authors not only to convey facts, graphs, and photos, but also to incorporate...
Read the complete "Scientific poster digital format offers potential to transform medium" article
High-pitch DSCT offers speedy images equivalent to slow scans
CHICAGO - High-pitch dual-source CT (DSCT) scans speed up scanning without harming image quality in most applications, say researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. DSCT's speedy table times and high temporal resolution could deliver significant advantages in cardiovascular, thoracic, trauma, and pediatric CT, they concluded. Head imaging didn't work as well in high-pitch mode, however.
Results of the first clinical cases using high pitch scanning combined with DSCT for cardiothoracic imaging have been ...
Read the complete "High-pitch DSCT offers speedy images equivalent to slow scans" article
Putting informatics data to work for decision support
CHICAGO - As healthcare information technology approaches the second decade of the 21st century, radiologists can expect to have the opportunity to access data that supplements their own knowledge, enabling them to make more educated, and presumably better, diagnoses.
Just as PACS and portable digital media such as DICOM CDs have made possible immediate access to a patient's entire imaging file, the acquisition of ...
Read the complete "Putting informatics data to work for decision support" article
GE highlights dual-energy CT, MRI elastography at RSNA booth
CHICAGO - A new dual-energy CT mode, an MRI elastography technique, and a cost-effective mammography system are among the highlights in the RSNA booth of GE Healthcare of Chalfont St. Giles, U.K.
Read the complete "GE highlights dual-energy CT, MRI elastography at RSNA booth" article
Elastography can reduce unnecessary biopsies
CHICAGO - Elastography has the potential to reduce unnecessary biopsies, according to a study presented at the RSNA meeting on Sunday.
Researchers from Elizabeth Wende Breast Care in Rochester, NY, found a correlation of 98% between elastography, standard ultrasound, clinical mammography, and biopsy for cancerous lesions. For benign lesions, although the percentage was a bit lower at 78%, elastography could still help clinicians decide whether biopsy is needed.
"We see a lot of young women in our center who've felt a lump and ..."
Read the complete "Elastography can reduce unnecessary biopsies" article
Surveillance polyps show little growth at follow-up
CHICAGO - A preliminary study from Italy adds weight to the argument that two- to three-year surveillance of 6- to 9-mm polyps doesn't unduly increase the risk of colorectal cancers. Diminutive polyps grow faster but present less cause for concern.
"What we know now about the adenoma carcinoma sequence is that it takes about five years to have an ..."
Read the complete "Surveillance polyps show little growth at follow-up" article
Day one of RSNA 2009 News includes:
Perfusion MRI helps direct brain tumor treatment
CHICAGO - Brazilian researchers say that perfusion MRI with a dynamic susceptibility contrast-enhanced technique may allow doctors to determine the best ways of treating patients with brain malignancies, according to a presentation on Sunday at this week's RSNA conference.
One way is to use MRI to determine reperfusion patterns that indicate how well a tumor is oxygenated...
Read the complete "Perfusion MRI helps direct brain tumor treatment" article.
F-18 fluoride PET/CT may better manage painful bone metastases
CHICAGO - Fluorine-18 (F-18) fluoride ion PET/CT may help predict which metastatic lesions will be painful in the thoracolumbar spine, potentially leading to better preventive treatment for those patients, according to researchers from Stanford University in Stanford, CA.
The study was presented Sunday at the RSNA annual meeting and also received the RSNA Research Trainee Award.
Read the complete "F-18 fluoride PET/CT may better manage painful bone metastases" article
